1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel composition obtained upon the reaction of chlorine dioxide (ClO.sub.2) with a polymer, preferably polymeric N-vinyl-.alpha.-pyrrolidone.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Chlorine dioxide is a gas which is explosive in air at concentrations over 9 to 10%. It has some solubility in water, but solutions of chlorine dioxide in water rapidly lose ClO.sub.2 at atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature. Thus the effectiveness of solutions of ClO.sub.2, although possessing a powerful killing effect on bacteria, fungi, viruses, spores, etc., is fugitive to some extent due to the tendency for loss of ClO.sub.2 gas from the solution.
One approach to this stability problem has been to stabilize the ClO.sub.2 solution with various inorganic salts, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,701,781, at a pH above 8 and to liberate ClO.sub.2 slowly by reducing the pH of the stabilized solution. This approach has disadvantages, however, in that it requires an operation to lower the pH and the resulting solution exhibits a tendency to lose free ClO.sub.2 once it is liberated from the stabilized solution. There is, therefore, a need for a chlorine dioxide solution of improved stability.
The use of polymeric N-vinyl pyrrolidone for stabilizing halogen containing solutions s disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,739,922. Reaction products of ClO.sub.2 with polymers such as polymeric N-vinyl pyrrolidone to provide an organically stabilized ClO.sub.2 composition, however, are nowhere disclosed or suggested therein.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel, stabilized composition of ClO.sub.2.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an organically stabilized composition of ClO.sub.2.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an organically stabilized ClO.sub.2 composition which is a powerful microbiocide.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art, as well as the scope, nature and utilization, upon a review of the following description and the claims appended hereto.